Index
In just one day we had seen a lot of this beautiful island. Thanks to my cousin and his wife who knew the island so well. When the bus arrived at the station in Honolulu, Lu Lu suddenly became very tired. I was worried a little bit about her health. It was a long day for her and I was very glad when we were back at the hotel again. A good night's sleep would do Lu Lu very good.
The next day we decided not to take any long sightseeing trips and just visited the Hawaiian Zoo. The flamingos with their beautiful orange colors and the palm and coconut trees in the background make this place a heaven for taking pictures. We went back to our hotel early as we had to pack again for our next flight to Hong Kong. At night we had dinner at 'Jack in the Box' and after that Lu Lu went to bed very early. I didn't go to bed at all and spent the night sightseeing on the main boulevard. At night, the Hawaiian clubs are filled with interesting people.
As our plane left Hawaii at 4:15 PM and I saw the night lights disappear from this beautiful island I was thinking, will I ever see this island again?
Hawaii - Hong Kong, this was going to be one of our longest plane flights (11 1/2 hours) Lu Lu was not fond of it at all. When we left the hotel in Hawaii it was nighttime, but as soon as the plane was in the air it was light again. On the flight we would lose a whole day in time difference by the time we arrived in Hong Kong. This was going to be a very uncomfortable flight for Lu Lu as she was not able to stretch out anywhere. There wasn't one empty seat in the plane left. During the flight I tried to make Lu Lu comfortable by putting her legs on my lap so I could massage them a little bit so her blood would circulate better. On a long flight like this I noticed how the passengers become very impatient. Some of them drink too much alcohol and become very noisy. It's not easy on the stewardesses as they have to keep the same profile to all of their customers with smiles and patience even when they become very tired themselves after such a long flight. Some people have no consideration that those girls need a break once in while.
Flying above the Pacific Ocean is not a smooth flight. There is a lot of turbulent weather and the flight at times is very bumpy. When the plane starts shaking like that it makes many passengers very uncomfortable and a little scared. Only the passengers who had a few strong drinks during the flight were able to sleep for a little while. On such a long flight you try to find all kinds of ways to kill some of the dull flying time. I went around and conversed with some of the passengers. There were so many different nationalities on this flight which made it very interesting for me to converse with others. What a relaxing moment when the captain announces we soon will be landing at Hong Kong airport. As the plane starts slowly descending and you look through the window to spot some land, all you see is clouds. It was a wonder how the plane finds its way around those clouds and mountain peaks for a safe landing. But somehow it landed very smoothly.
As soon as the plane parked and all the passengers were off the plane, a large group of people with buckets and all kinds of cleaning materials came on the plane. With such a large group of cleaning people it wouldn't take long to have this plane ready for the next flight. Looking around the City of Hong Kong it was easy for me to understand why labor was so easy to get. This city has masses of people around. We were supposed to stay in Hong Kong for a few days with some of our Chinese friends. When Lu Lu saw the city of Hong Kong with its masses of people she changed her mind and told me to take the next flight to Singapore. I guess the long flight from Hawaii had tired her very much.
Foreword
Old Rotterdam
World War II
After the War
Coming to America
Washington, D.C.
Southeast Asia
Philosophy of Life
Book Index
